A United States federal jury has found Asif Merchant, a 47-year-old Pakistani man described by American authorities as having links to Iran, guilty of taking part in a murder-for-hire plot that targeted senior political figures, including US President Donald Trump.
The verdict came after a week-long trial in Brooklyn, where prosecutors said Merchant tried to arrange assassinations by seeking out a hitman in New York in 2024.
The jury convicted him on charges including murder for hire and attempted terrorism transcending national boundaries. He could face life in prison at sentencing.
US officials allege Merchant was a trained operative of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and had entered the United States to explore recruitment opportunities and set up politically motivated killings.
According to the timeline presented in court, Merchant arrived in the US from Pakistan in April 2024 after spending time in Iran. In June, he contacted a person he believed could help execute the plan, but that individual later alerted law enforcement.
Authorities said Merchant subsequently met undercover officers posing as hitmen in New York, and the alleged plot was disrupted before any attack could take place. He was arrested in July 2024, before leaving the country.
During the trial, Merchant acknowledged that an IRGC handler had directed him to arrange political assassinations and identified targets that included Trump, former US president Joe Biden, and Trump-era official Nikki Haley. Merchant said the plan was framed as retaliation for the 2020 killing of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani.
Merchant’s defense argued he acted under pressure, claiming his handler implied knowledge of Merchant’s relatives in Iran and where they lived. He also claimed he expected to be arrested before anyone was harmed and intended to cooperate with US authorities, hoping it would support an immigration bid, according to the same report.
US media reported the jury reached its decision in less than two hours. After the conviction, US Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr said the scheme was stopped due to law enforcement vigilance and described the case as an attempted act of political violence.
Merchant’s lawyer Christopher Neff said he was disappointed with the outcome but maintained that significant legal issues remain unresolved, adding the defense still expects a favorable result at a later stage.
Moral of the story 😮
“Might is alway Right”